Jesus Calling His Helpers
(See Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)
One day Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two fishermen tossing their nets out into the water and drawing them back. He watched the two men as he walked along. When he came near them he saw that they were Andrew and Simon Peter. He watched them toss out their nets again. When they drew in the nets the fish were wet and shiny in the sunlight.
Jesus spoke to the two brothers. He said "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus ment that they would be able to help people to know about God.
Andrew and Simon Peter left their nets and followed Jesus.
As Jesus went along the seashore he saw some more fishermen.
When Jesus came near them he saw two other brothers. They were James and John with their father Zebedee. They were mending their nets so that there would be no holes big enough for a fish to get through.
Jesus called to them. "Follow me, he said."
James and John left their ship and their father and followed Jesus.
Another day Jesus was walking along a city street. He saw a man sitting at the table where the tax money was gathered for the government. The man's name was Mathew. Jesus stopped to speak to Mathew.
He said "Follow me." And Mathew, too, left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus wanted everyone to hear the good news that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to show His love. But Jesus knew that he could not go to tell all of the people by himself. Jesus chose helpers and follwers to help him to tell about God. Then Jesus decided to choose twelve special helpers to be with him and to go out to preach and to heal.
Jesus left the city and the towns and went out to a mountain. He went to a place where he could be alone to pray. All night he prayed. He asked God to help him to choose his twelve special helpers. When morning came Jesus called his follwers to him.
"I have prayed to God," said Jesus. "And now I am going to choose twelve men to be my apostles."
These are the men whom Jesus chose to be his apostles, his special helpers--Simon Peter and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Mathew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus and Simon of Canaan, and Judas Iscariot.
Story by Ethel M. Phillps, 1948
